Big-Frank's Beautiful Balanced Bakery Betopping Bits (streusel)
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on September 10, 2012 at 7:48 am

This recipe was provided by Frank of KAF and requires a different method (no melted butter) than Streusel #1, which was very sweet, and Streusel #2, which shouldn't be as sweet as #1 but still has a very high proportion of fat (1:2:2)

The whole Potential Pie Perfection Package:
First, the foundation of all pies, THE CRUST aka Perfect Pie Pastry Premix
Then, the center of it all, the apple pie filling aka Apple Ambrosia

And now the Parade Of Streusels
Streusel #1 - Sweet, Sweet Streusel
Streusel #2 - Foster's Best Crumb Topping
Streusel #3 - Big-Frank's Beautiful Balanced Bakery Betopping Bits, AKA Professor-Frank's Pulchritudinous Pulverulence for Proper Pastry and Pie Peaks

Source: http://community.kingarthurflour.com/node/14987/53910#comment-53910

1 part Fat
1 part Sugar
2 part Flour
EG, by weight:
4 oz = 1/2 c = 113g Butter
4 oz = 1/2 c + 1 T = 100.5g Sugar
8 oz Flour = 2 c cake flour = 1 7/8c (1 3/4 c + 2 T) AP flour
(Cup measures courtesy of cwdesign)
1/2c butter

From Frank's posting:
Here is the ratio for "All-Purpose" Streusel/Crumb Topping that I used to use in my hotel pastry shop days. You can vary the texture from "sandy" to super chunky" by how you handle the ingredients.
The size of the size/texture of the crumb is controlled by the duration of blending and the temperature of the fat.

For a "dusty" topping use diced cold butter and a fairly short mixing time.

For a "classic crumble topping" use cubed cold butter and longer mixing time.

For "chunky/pebbles" use room temperature butter (take care when using room temp butter, the streusel can quickly pass "chunky/pebbles" and become "shortbread dough" if mixed too long).

Typically enrichments, like nuts or oats or spices, I add at the end of mixing, this keeps them from breaking down. And with nuts and spices in particular, it prevents them from darkening the color of the streusel during blending. Hope this helps. Frank @ KAF.